UPDATE: Leander City Council to move forward with purchasing property for San Gabriel River park extension

Leander City Council will consider buying additional land for the future park on US 183 at its Nov. 16 meeting.

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Leander City Council approved a motion 4-2 to begin negotiation for the purchase of approximately 36 acres north of the city's future San Gabriel River park at its meeting Nov. 16. Council members Troy Hill and Ron Abruzzese voted against the motion.

Original story posted Nov. 10 at 6:19 p.m.

The Leander Parks & Recreation advisory board recommended the city purchase land adjacent to the city’s existing property along the San Gabriel River, Parks and Recreation Department Director Mark Tummons said during a site tour Nov. 10.

Leander City Council members will consider acquiring the land—approximately 36 acres of land north of the city’s 80 acres on US 183—during closed executive session at the Nov. 16 meeting, according to the meeting agenda.

Plans for the existing 80 acres include adult soccer fields, adult softball and girls’ softball fields, Tummons said. The additional space could feature a tennis center and multipurpose practice fields, he said, although the ideas have not been master-planned and would be brought to the public for feedback before finalization.

“We just don’t have [practice areas] in this community,” Tummons said.

He said construction on the city’s existing acreage for the park may begin in 2019.

Abby Bora started at Community Impact Newspaper in May 2017. After working as a reporter, she became editor of the Cedar Park-Leander edition in October 2018. She covers Leander ISD and city government. Bora graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. with a bachelor’s degree in media and communications studies.

Cedar Park and Leander officials who were interviewed support Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent announcement easing restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic—as long as data supports continued relaxing of social distancing.